Bloomberg News

Group Seeks Union, Pay Raises for NYC Fast-Food Workers

By Ben Livesey
November 29, 2012

Fast-food workers in New York are
scheduled to protest today as part of a campaign to seek union
recognition for the industry and negotiate pay raises.

“Hundreds of workers at dozens of McDonalds, Taco Bells,
KFCs and Burger Kings across the city” will call for a $15 per
hour wage so employees can “support their families, and put
money back into the economy, instead of relying on taxpayers to
shoulder the burden for the fast food industry’s low-wages,”
according to a statement for the workers’ campaign, called Fast
Food Forward.

“The goal is to put money back in the pockets of the 50,000
men and women who work hard in the city’s fast food industry --
but still can’t afford basic necessities like food, clothing,
and rent -- to help get New York’s economy moving again,”
according to the statement from BerlinRosen, which consults on
political and public affairs campaigns. The workers also seek
“the right to form a union without interference.”

The rallies will start at 6:30 a.m. New York time and
continue through the day at fast-food outlets across the city.
The campaign is backed by community and civil rights groups,
religious leaders and a labor union and has engaged 40 full-time
organizers in recent months to enlist workers at McDonald’s
Corp. (MCD:US), Wendy’s Co. (WEN:US), Domino’s Pizza Inc. (DPZ:US), Yum! Brands Inc. (YUM:US)’s Taco
Bell and other fast-food chains across the city, the New York
Times reported yesterday.

Median pay for fast-food workers in the city is about $9 an
hour -- or about $18,500 a year for a full-time worker, the
Times reported, citing the New York state Labor Department.

Cheryll Forsatz, a spokeswoman for McDonald’s, said in an
e-mail that the company has “an open dialogue with our
employees” and encourages them “to express any concerns or
provide feedback.” She said most McDonald’s restaurants are
owned by “independent business men and women who offer pay and
benefits competitive within the quick service restaurant
industry.”

The campaign follows action last week by Wal-Mart Stores
Inc. (WMT:US) workers who protested against the company’s hours and
benefits.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Ben Livesey in San Francisco at
blivesey@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Kevin Miller at
kmiller@bloomberg.net